Notice of Pre-AIA or AIA Status
The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA .
DETAILED ACTION
This is a Non-final Office Action for application number 18/798,389 MOUNTING DEVICE TO SELECTIVELY SECURE A MODULE-LEVEL POWER ELECTRONICS DEVICE TO A FRAME OF A PHOTOVOLTAIC ASSEMBLY filed on 8/8/2024. Claims 1-20 are pending.
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement submitted on 5/31/2025 and 8/23/2024 is in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statement has been considered by the examiner.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
The following is a quotation of the appropriate paragraphs of 35 U.S.C. 102 that form the basis for the rejections under this section made in this Office action:
A person shall be entitled to a patent unless –
(a)(1) the claimed invention was patented, described in a printed publication, or in public use, on sale or otherwise available to the public before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claims 13 and 16-18 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by United States Patent No. 9,689,411 to Meine et al.
With regards to claim 13, Meine et al. teaches a device (101) having a fastener (111, 300) including a head (300) and a shaft (111), wherein the fastener is able to engage an extension (500) of the component; and a bracket (202) having a body (202) including an aperture (See Figure 4A) operable to receive the shaft of the fastener; a first arm (221) extending from a first side of the body, the first arm including a plurality of teeth (211), the first arm extending at a first arm angle relative to a surface of the body; and a second arm (211) extending from a second side of the body, the second arm extending at a second arm angle relative to the surface of the body, wherein, when the aperture receives the shaft of the fastener, the first arm is operable to make contact with a first surface of a frame section (400) of the PV frame and hold the extension of the component against a second surface of the frame section, securing the PV frame (600) within a gap defined between the first arm and the extension of the component.
With regards to claim 16, Meine et al. teaches wherein the first arm angle is approximately 90°. (See Figure 3)
With regards to claim 17, Meine et al. teaches wherein the bracket further comprises a tab (241) extending at a tab angle relative to the surface of the body, and wherein the tab is operable to engage a cutout in the extension of the component. (See Figure 5).
With regards to claim 18, Meine et al. teaches a nut (300) including interior threading that corresponds to exterior threading on at least a portion of the shaft of the fastener, wherein the PV frame (400, 500, 600) is secured within the gap defined between the first arm and the extension of the component when the nut is threaded onto the fastener after the shaft of the fastener extends through the aperture and a cutout in the extension of the component.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 1-12 and 20 are allowed.
Claim 14, 15 and 19 are objected to as being dependent upon a rejected base claim, but would be allowable if rewritten in independent form including all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
With regards to claim 1 the prior does not teach a mounting device that is selectively engageable to a component of a photovoltaic system, the mounting device comprising: a body including an aperture operable to receive a fastener that is able to engage an extension of the component, wherein the aperture extends through a neck extending from a surface of the body, and wherein the aperture is at least partially threaded with interior threading that corresponds to exterior threading on at least a portion of a shaft of the fastener; a first arm extending from a first side of the body, the first arm including a plurality of teeth, the first arm extending at a first arm angle relative to the surface of the body; a second arm extending from a second side of the body, the second arm extending at a second arm angle relative to the surface of the body; and a tab extending at a tab angle relative to the surface of the body, wherein the tab is operable to engage a cutout through the extension of the component, wherein, when the aperture receives the fastener, the plurality of teeth of the first arm is operable to make contact with a first surface of a frame section of a photovoltaic (PV) frame of the photovoltaic system and hold the extension of the component against a second surface of the frame section, securing the PV frame within a gap defined between the first arm and the extension of the component.
With regards to claim 14, the prior art does not teach wherein the aperture extends through a neck extending from the surface of the body.
With regards to claims 19 and 20, the prior art does not teach a photovoltaic (PV) system, having a PV frame operable to receive a solar panel, wherein the PV frame includes a frame section; a module-level power electronics device (MLPE), wherein the MLPE includes an extension with a cutout; a fastener including a head and a shaft, wherein the shaft is able to extend through the cutout of the extension of the MLPE; and a bracket, comprising: a body including an aperture operable to receive the shaft of the fastener; a first arm extending from a first side of the body, the first arm extending at a first arm angle relative to a surface of the body; and a second arm extending from a second side of the body, the second arm extending at a second arm angle relative to the surface of the body, wherein, when the shaft extends through the cutout and the aperture receives the shaft, the first arm is operable to make contact with a first surface of the frame section of the PV frame and hold the extension of the MLPE against a second surface of the frame section of the PV frame, securing the PV frame to the extension of the MLPE and electrically bonding the frame section and the MLPE.
Cited References
PN 11,121,669 to Stearns et al. teaches a bracket
PN 10,903,788 to Andrews teaches a bracket
PN 9,506,600 to Li teaches a bracket
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication should be directed to Amy J. Sterling at telephone number 571-272-6823 or to Supervisor Jonathan Liu at 571-272-8227 if the examiner cannot be reached. The examiner can normally be reached (Mon-Fri 8am-5:00pm). The fax machine number for the Technology center is 571-273-8300 (formal amendments), informal amendments or communications 571-273-6823. Any inquiry of a general nature or relating to the status of this application should be directed to the Technology Center receptionist at 571-272-3600.
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/AMY J. STERLING/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3631 3/5/26
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